


Gonna be Okay

by throwntotheair (eloquentelegance)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, offscreen batlantern
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-24 09:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8367337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eloquentelegance/pseuds/throwntotheair
Summary: Damian doesn't do the whole "My Dad is Dating Again". Quite frankly, he doesn't see the point.





	

"I got us cocoa," Nightwing says, crouching down.

"Of course you did." Robin sticks out his hand, palm up.

Nightwing huffs out a laugh, before handing the drink over. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It's like you," Robin shrugs.

"To bring cocoa?"

"To bring comfort. Levity. Something else to do other than stare blankly into space."

"I can sit still."

"You don't like to. You have itchy feet." Robin smirks, taking a calm sip.

Nightwing grins back.

They get comfortable, curling neatly into the shadows. A cozy silence unfolds between them. It’s easy, Damian thinks, it’s so easy. They haven’t been partners for years. Grayson isn’t Batman and he isn’t ten. Time passed, things changed. But right here, now, on a gargoyle overlooking Gotham, this remains. It’s easy - the way nothing has ever been for him - to settle into Grayson’s side, satisfied to see him just over his shoulder. No one else can compare, not even Father - the first Batman, sure, but not his first.

“So, Bruce and Hal…” Grayson says, cutting through the quiet.

Damian stifles a groan. “No names on the field, Nightwing.”

“Batman and Green Lantern then,” Grayson continues, not even faltering.

Unfortunately, some things did change. Primarily, his father has a paramour - or something approximating it. The Gotham circles were wild with speculation and giggling chatter. There was nothing official, of course. Father isn’t exactly the most amorous man on the planet. Certainly, Mother didn’t fall for his romantic wiles, speaking more of his bravery and intelligence. Jordan can court Father all he wants, Damian wants nothing to do with it. But even he recognizes it to be a difficult task. If he was arsed to care a bit more, he’d wish Jordan luck.

But he doesn’t - in fact - care, not a whit. He crosses his arms and quirks a brow at Grayson. “So,” he sneers.

“So?” Grayson echoes, half-incredulous. “Aren’t you like - I don’t know. Kids don’t react well to their parents dating again.”

“Have I ever struck you to be a child?”

“Yeah, like right now for instance. You got a nice cocoa mustache going on.”

Damian flushes, hastily wiping his mouth. “It doesn’t bother me. I learned long ago the particulars between my parents. Jordan can have at Father.”

Grayson stifles a snicker. “Oh, I think he is most definitely trying. If the gossip I hear is even a kernel true.” He pokes Damian on the nose. “But I meant more about you and Hal? And whatever happened to ‘no names on the field’? Hmm?”

“I was doing it to be difficult,” Damian says bluntly.

It startles out a laugh from Grayson. Shaking his head, he presses on. “But seriously, kiddo.”

“What about me and Jordan? We exchanged maybe 15 words in our entire acquaintance.”

“Exactly! If the whatevers are true, then you know, Hal might be around more. And if Bruce gets his head out of his ass for maybe like five minutes, your dad will want you to like him.”

“Why? He’s not my lover!”

“But he’s going to be family.”

“He can court my father without having to associate with me.”

“Yeah but that’s… That’s a bit cold, don’t you think? Like you’re squaring off a piece of Bruce’s life he can never interact with.” Grayson hums in thought. “Is that what you’re trying to do?”

“Don’t be asinine. I had no such intentions.”

“That you were aware of.”

“Cease psychoanalyzing me, Nightwing!” Damian rises to his feet, glaring at Grayson. “Why couldn’t you have kept your mouth shut! We were having a splendid evening - dare I say companionable even. But you must say something - do something - always! Every time!”

Damian flings his cup away, not caring if it splats on some unsuspecting civilian below. He pulls out his grappling gun and moves to fire it, when Grayson grabs his wrist.

“Hey, look. Kiddo. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he tells him.

“I wasn’t upset,” he replies, shaking off Grayson’s grip. He stuffs the grappling gun back into his belt. “You irritated me. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah, okay,” Grayson nods amiably, before sighing. “We can talk about something else.”

“We are supposed to be on patrol,” Damian says, but retakes his seat.

Grayson gestures at the skies. “In weather like this? Even if some mugger was out, there’d be no one to rob. Only the biggest bads are working, and then we got our biggest bad working on them.”

“Tt.” Damian crosses his arms, pressing closer to Grayson. “You think they’ve caught Green Lantern’s rogue yet?”

“Probably. Hal’s a bit of a goof sometimes, but he comes through when it counts.”

Damian considers these words, idly toying with the hem of his cape. He clears his throat and says, “You think they are well-matched?”

Grayson barks out a laugh. “Honestly? I have no idea. I figure weirder things have happened. But…” He runs a hand through his hair. “It could be good, for Bruce, for both of them really. Odd couples tend to work out, despite everything.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, I mean, look at us. No one thought we’d get along. But you and I worked out just fine, didn’t we?”

Damian feels his cheeks flush and turns away from Grayson. “You are a sentimental fool.”

Grayson laughs. “But, not wrong.”

They fall silent, leaning back, watching the streets below. It’s jarring, the emptiness of it. On any other day, there would crowds of people, all swarming about. The lack of anyone now lends to a sense of isolation in Damian. He allows himself to imagine being the only person in Gotham, in the world even. It’s a strange and lonely thought, but there’s also a sense of relief lying underneath. There’s a freedom to be had when there’s no one around to watch you.

“I think Hal would like you,” Grayson says, interrupting his musings.

Damian staunchly ignores the flush spreading across his cheeks. “So?”

Grayson doesn’t look at him but his smirk is very telling. He is aware of sparing Damian some embarrassment, which only serves to fluster him more. Damian punches him for his gall.

Chuckling, Grayson shakes his head. “You know whatever happens, it’s going to be okay. Right kiddo? Even if Hal and Bruce get together, even if things start changing - well, that’s just how it goes. But it’s going to be okay.”

Damian rolls his eyes. “Of course. I’ve got you, don’t I?”

Satisfaction blooms in his chest to see Grayson so surprised by his statement. Now it’s his turn to be flustered. Grinning, Damian adds, “And you’ve got me. We’re going to be just fine.”

Grayson smiles, something too soft and too fragile. He loops an arm around Damian’s shoulders and pulls him close, ignoring his outraged squawk. “Yeah, we sure will.”


End file.
